A Harvesting : Cherished

A Harvesting: Cherished
P K Routray

An art, an entertainment and a fun
once used extensively for paddy production,
now replaced by machines, is on the verge of extinction
strangly amidst slogans and tears for energy conservation.
A tool and a time tested method to break work monotony,
also increasing the bondage among villagers with community harmony
It was the harvesting procedure
adopted in Indian villages since the days of yore.
The paddy plants in the farming field with ripe grains get dry and cut
carried over head loads by males and females, they in bundles are brought,
stacked and later spread on a special place, smeared with cow dung, cleaned and kept dry,
at the end of the Autumn season when from the rain clear stays the sky.
They are spread around a pole on the center,
over this spread the bullocks are chained and made to walk by the famer.
The bullocks thus chained in tandem are made to walk over the paddy laden plants
being patted and heckled by a farmer singing and holding a cane with an artful stance.
Being trampled under their hoofs, from their plants, grains get separated
Having thus harvesting the yield, the farmer gets elated and feel blessed.
This act is enjoyed by the wintry morning idle gossipers from the village,
holding a stem of Neem plant as mouth cleaner or holding a beverage.
The bullock nearest to the pole moves on leisurely while grazing the straw,
the bullock at farthest end has to run fastest , or else the master’s wrath it will draw.
The scene satirically shows that some toil and sweat
for same work some are free to enjoy without any threat.
The golden grains get thus separated from their dear mothers,
How scintillating was the scene of yore to us as fun loving observers.
The bullocks do not belong to one farmer but is burrowed from others
co operation, bondage and fellow feelings thus develop among villagers.
All these at the back of one act of farming bind the villagers all together
This scintillating scene of harvesting with treasures behind is worth cherished forever.